Method for voice quality improvement in a wireless transmission system

• US 6,236,855 B1
• Filed: 05/01/1997
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Management Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Austin, Mark David
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US08/847,064
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/423, 455/453, 455/62, 455/63, 455/513, 370/337, 370/347, 370/321, 371/37.1, 371/37.2, 371/37.3, 371/37.4, 371/37.6, 371/37.7, 348/473
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0079 Formats for control data H04L1/16 takes precedence; training sequences H04L25/00 and H04L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method for enhancing the voice signal received by a remote user in a time division multiple access (TDMA), cellular telephone system. In order to enhance the signal received by a remote user in a TDMA cellular telephone system, the base station transmits to the remote user in need of signal improvement additional signal enhancing data on one or more previously idle transmission resources. The method includes identifying the first remote user in need of signal enhancing data, identifying and selecting an idle transmission resource, identifying for the first remote user the selected transmission resource, generating additional signal enhancing data, and inserting the additional signal enhancing data into the selected transmission resource for transmission to the first remote user. If the selected transmission resource is required to provide primary service to a second remote user, the selected resource will be reassigned to the second requesting user, and the transmission of additional signal enhancing data to the first remote user will be terminated.

Claims

1. In a time division multiple access cellular telephone system including a base station and one or more remote users, wherein the base station includes a compressor for encoding an input data to produce encoded data and a forward error protection module for producing forward error protection data, a method for improving the quality of the encoded data received by a first remote user from the base station, comprising the steps of:

a. identifying the first remote user;

b. selecting a second transmission resource; and

c;

transmitting signal enhancing data via the second transmission resource to the first remote user, while transmitting the encoded data to the first remote user via a first transmission resource, said signal enhancing data effective to improve the quality of the encoded data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal enhancing data comprises additional forward error protection data produced by the forward error protection module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the remote user comprises monitoring a bit error rate from the remote user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the remote user comprises monitoring signal strength from the remote user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the remote user comprises monitoring a co-channel for interference from the remote user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first remote user receives the encoded data in a first time slot in a first frame of a first channel transmitted from the base station of the time division multiple access cellular telephone system and the second transmission resource comprises a portion of a second time slot in the first frame of the first channel transmitted from the base station of the time division multiple access cellular telephone system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second time slot is adjacent to the first time slot.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second time slot is time separated from the first time slot.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transmission resource comprises a portion of a time slot in a frame of a channel transmitted from a second base station of the time division multiple access cellular telephone system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station communicates the identity of the second transmission resource to the remote user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote user searches among transmission resources to find the second transmission resource and the signal enhancing data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes terminating the transmission of signal enhancing data via the second transmission resource to the first remote user in response to a request for service from a second remote user which request requires use of the second transmission resource.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further includes sending a terminate signal via the second transmission resource to the first remote user when the request for service requiring the second transmission resource is received from the second remote user and terminating receipt by the first remote user of the second transmission resource in response to the terminating signal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further includes sending encoded data, intended for the second remote user, via the second transmission resource to the first remote user when the request for service is received from the second remote user and terminating receipt by the first remote user of encoded data in the second transmission resource in response to decoding the encoded data meant for the second remote user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first remote user transmits signal enhancing data via the second transmission resource to the base station.

16. In a time division multiple access cellular telephone system including a base station and one or more remote users, a method for improving the quality of the encoded data received by a first remote user from the base station, comprising the steps of:

a. identifying the first remote user;

b. selecting a second transmission resource; and

c. transmitting signal enhancing data via the second transmission resource to the first remote user, while transmitting the encoded data to the first remote user via a first transmission resource, said signal enhancing data effective to improve the quality of the encoded data; and

d. wherein the first remote user receives the encoded data in a first time slot in a first frame of a first channel transmitted from the base station of the time division multiple access cellular telephone system and the second transmission resource comprises a portion of a second time slot in the first frame of the first channel transmitted from the base station of the time division multiple access cellular telephone system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the signal enhancing data comprises additional forward error protection data produced by the forward error protection module.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying the remote user comprises monitoring a bit error rate from the remote user.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying the remote user comprises monitoring signal strength from the remote user.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying the remote user comprises monitoring the co-channel to interference from the remote user.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the second time slot is adjacent to the first time slot.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the second time slot is time separated from the first time slot.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the first remote user transmits signal enhancing data via the second transmission resource to the base station.